""The Man in the Tuskhut" is an immersive theater experience set in an Arctic trading post. Attendees converse with an animatronic as part of the show. Some take on a character when doing so, others play it straight. It can feel like a confessional, a therapy session or simply a bizarre encounter. The buzzy show is just the beginning for its creators, who plan on developing more interactive experiences."
"Two years ago, at Jason Woliner's birthday party, there was a strange guest in attendance. Mysterious, wise, uncanny - it was an animatronic robot cowboy named Dale. In the years prior, Woliner had become transfixed by immersive theater and animatronics, prompting him to purchase Dale. Woliner's obsession with him became akin to Frankenstein and his monster. Dale's presence was a triumph. Using a complex software system, Woliner made the animatronic conversational."
"Later, another one of his animatronics had campfire-side chats with audiences at the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans. Woliner's creative partner of 15 years, Eric Notarnicola, joined the endeavor as well. Notarnicola and Woliner, known for comedy projects like "Nathan for You," "The Rehearsal," "Paul T. Goldman" and "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," found that animatronics aligned with their body of work - absurd, amusing and occasionally devastating explorations of truth and vulnerability."
An animatronic named Dale hosts conversational encounters inside a Nova Tuskhut, a recreated Arctic trading post. Attendees speak with the animatronic, sometimes adopting characters and sometimes responding plainly, producing experiences that can feel confessional, therapeutic, or bizarre. Jason Woliner purchased and developed Dale after becoming obsessed with immersive theater and animatronics, using complex software to enable conversation. Woliner and creative partner Eric Notarnicola have presented the animatronics at theater events and festivals. The creators plan to expand the concept into further interactive experiences that blend absurdity, vulnerability and audience participation.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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